


Silver and Gold

by jessicarp



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Humor, Bittersweet Ending, F/M, Heterosexuality, M/M, Mutation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-30 09:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5158502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessicarp/pseuds/jessicarp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I smirked, and felt a breeze brush by me, reaching out and grabbing hold. He squirmed in my grip as I looked into his confused eyes, and shook my head. "Going a little fast there, aren't you honey?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chains

An aching in my head woke me, and I began to open my eyes slowly. There were bright flourescent lights everywhere, and they hurt my eyes. I squinted upward and saw a tall, thick man staring down at me, smirking.

I quickly began to panic, and I tried to stand up but my arms and legs could barely move. I frantically looked behind me and saw that my hands were chained high above my head, and I could feel rough cuffs around my ankles that pinned me to a wall.

"Come now, Miss. There's no need to fret. We're only here to help." the man said above me, and I glared up at him, growling through my teeth. I lunged at him, throwing my whole body against the chains, only to be slammed back against the wall.

The man threw his head back and laughed hysterically, and I clenched my fists, which were desperate to collide with the bridge of his nose with a loud crack.

"Where am I? Who are you?!" I shouted, and tugged against my restraints once more. The chains were rusty and gross, surely they shouldn't be this strong. The man simply smiled at me, and started to pace in front of me. I watched his shoes click along the cement floor, and my legs started to go numb. I wanted to walk. I wanted to run.

"All your questions shall be answered. But not here. It is too soon." He said, and started to walk away. As my eyes adjusted, I saw a huge metal door with three slits at the top, and I heard voices on the outside. I couldn't let this guy leave. Not without an answer.

"Answer me, you bastard!" I screamed, tearing towards him. He jumped away from me quickly, and a moment of fear shadowed his eyes. He quickly knocked on the door and it was opened to him, and he leaned towards one side, whispering to someone. I couldn't catch what they were saying, my ears were still ringing. But he began to speak loud enough that I could hear.

"Deal with that temper of hers. Leave nothing to chance." He said, and took a last glance at me before two men entered my cell with a tank and an oxygen mask.

My body froze and I screamed. They were going to poison me. They were going to kill me. I screamed as loudly as I could, and began to thrash around, trying to get the men off me, before one hit my legs out from under me, and forced the mask over my mouth. I held my breath, and refused to breathe in, when the other man kicked me in the stomach and the wind was knocked out of me. I took in one deep breath, and my vision began to go fuzzy.

My eyelids started drooping and my vision was getting more and more pixelated.

The last thing I remember was a brilliant smile, and blue the color of the Pacific sea.


	2. Pietro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro's sarcastic and Steve's pissed off.

I woke to the sound of screeching in my ears, and voices all around me. I sat up in bed, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, looking around. My alarm clock was blaring static as loud as it possibly could, and it's little green numbers were flashing with great urgency.

I groaned, and hoisted myself out of bed, walking towards the dresser that probably could've been considered a pile of clothes. As I looked around my room, I realized that everything was probably a pile of something. What, I didn't know. Wanda wanted me to clean more, and turn on more lights, but I never had the energy. After Sokovia, everything changed.

I sped across the room and slammed my hand down on the alarm clock before it could make another noise. The damn thing nearly shattered, and the cord came flying out of the wall behind it. I smirked and walked towards the door. There was only one reason my alarm clock went off. I had to go save the world again.

-:-:-:-:-

I reached the meeting room on the top floor of the training facility easily, and saw that everyone was waiting for me. I chuckled, and crossed the room to sit next to Wanda.

"Late again, Maximoff?" Captain Rogers said, leaning forward on the table. He did not look pleased, and I thought he was about as scary as a pumpkin.

I simply shrugged and Wanda kicked me under the table, making me glare at her. Agent Romanov simply rolled her eyes and grabbed a remote that was sitting on the sleek black table.

"Our sources in Germany have found yet another HYDRA base, and, as expected, they have been experimenting on humans again. But these scientists were different," she said, and clicked a button, moving to the next slide. It looked like a picture of the US Olympic team from 2012.

"So you're saying the US Olympic team is experimenting on humans? I mean know Russians hate America, but really Romanov?" I asked, smirking. Wanda kicked me even harder this time, and I laughed loudly.

Romanoff shook her head and stood facing towards the screen. "Always great to have you here, Maximoff."

"HYDRA's experiments were going on continuously, even after the war. But as technology got stronger, and more effective, their test subjects began to be too weak to handle serums, machines. Anything that HYDRA could throw at them," Rogers continued, "and so this is where they began their recruiting." He said, pointing to the screen.

Wanda and JARVIS exchanged looks, both of them afraid to ask the question that was on all our minds.

"How many are left?" I asked, clasping my hands and tossing my feet up on to the table.

Natasha grabbed a laser pointer and clicked the remote, and there was a picture of a young girl who looked even younger than Wanda and I, dressed in USA garb.

"Lea Wolfe. Swimmer. She is the youngest person to ever receive an Olympic title and a gold medal at the age of 15. Her parents reported her missing two months after the Games were over, and no one has given a solid lead since. Until now." She said, and a picture of the same girl, looking a bit older, and standing in a pile of bodies, with a face so cold I felt my heart stop.

She was a beautiful thing to look at, but you could see the evil in her eyes, and the malice in the way her mouth turned up at the corners as she looked at the bodies below her.

"She's enhanced, just like Wanda and Pietro... Only much more powerful, and much more dangerous." She said, looking at the two of us.

Wanda snorted. "What can she do, breathe underwater? She is a child, we will not need much to get her." She said, and we looked at each other, nodding and smirking in our own arrogance.

"This isn't some kind of joke Maximoff. We have no clue what she can do, or how he does it, but she has killed thousands of recovery teams and soldiers trying to bring down HYDRA." Rogers said, getting in Wanda's face, and I growled, running over to him and pressing a hand to his chest.

I glared at him, and pushed him backwards slightly, and away from my sister. He took a step back, and raised his hands in surrender.

"The task is simple then. We'll need a response team." JARVIS said coolly, and Romanov smirked.

"We're gettin' the band back together."


	3. Lea

"Please... Please don't..." The woman begged, her eyes full of fear as I held her above me, my hand tightening around her neck. A low growl vibrated in my chest, and I tossed her to my right, hearing a nasty snap as she hit the wall of a collapsing building.

"Wolfe!" yelled a gruff voice from behind me, and my body tensed, standing up straight in salute. Dr. Reitanbach stood in front of me, trying to look into my eyes, and take over my senses again.

"Why is that woman not dead?" He said, pointing to the crumpled form of the old woman that I had my filthy hands on not 30 seconds ago.

A sharp pain went through my head, and I screamed, pushing my fingers into my temples. I fell to the ground, the pain seering through every part of my body, and making my heart beat faster and faster until I could practically feel myself dying.

"Okay, stop! Stop!" I screamed as loudly as I could, and the pain vanished. I collapsed onto my stomach, and took huge, deep breaths, coughing and gagging on air. I felt his shadow over me, and the touch of his hand on the back of my head.

"Come now Lea. Do what you were made for..." he said in a low, thick voice. I squeezed my eyes shut and stood up, walking towards the woman once more. She pushed herself away from me, only to be met with a brick wall, and the sound of my heavy footsteps echoing through the shells of buildings.

She looked into my eyes, and there was fear. Pure fear. I reached down and slid my hands around her leathery skin, and she gasped for air, and I tightened my grip as all the light went out of her eyes, and her body went limp, going cold within seconds. I dropped her body, and I felt a surge of energy run through me, and I heard Reitanbach laughing behind me. I heard him  
getting closer, until he was directly in my ear.

"That's right Lea. Take every last bit." he whispered, and gently kissed my cheek. I knew he would hit me if I cringed, so I stood as still as I could, and waited for him to walk away.

I saw my two escorts come towards me, and I stuck my hands out so they could put them in containment. They were clever that way. If I couldn't touch them, I couldn't resist.

They marched me towards the plane, and I turned my head slowly, taking one last look at the poor woman I had destroyed.


	4. Pietro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Translation of the Russian:  
> "Stay safe."  
> "Fuck you."

"You know kid, there's this new thing called hair dye. It's pretty great." Tony said, and I laughed, throwing my head back and ran a hand through my hair. I had grown quite fond of the silver ends of my hair, and I thought they went with my whole "super hero image" that Rhodey always talked about. Of course his super hero image was rather clear, with his star-spangled outfit, and can-do attitude that I hated about most Americans. 

"And what color would you have me dye it? Pink?" I said, shoving Tony's shoulder, and looking towards Sam who was shaking his head at us, and attempting to make slightly normal conversation with Vision, who shut down his jokes just as quickly as Sam could whip them out. The only ones who could seem to talk to JARVIS were Thor and Tony. I had given up trying after about two seconds. His conversations went on forever and he didn't get to the point fast enough. 

I looked up to the front of jet, and saw Natasha talking with Steve, leaning over a computer board and discussing tactics. Romanoff's shoulders were slumped, and she couldn't conjure up a smile. I knew she was upset that Dr. Banner couldn't, or rather, wouldn't join us on the Avengers' first mission as a team again. No one knew where he was, and I think the good doctor liked it that way. 

Natasha and Steve turned around, and told Wanda to land the plane. She had recently started working on moving larger objects, and was already propelling us fairly evenly.

"Okay, so. This HYDRA base is a lot different from any of the others we have encountered. This is their very last resort, and they will do anyone to protect it." Steve said, and I knit my eyebrows.

"'It'? 'It' is a she, and she is one of us." I said, gesturing to Wanda and myself. Steve barely even blinked, and brought up an image of the girl, Lea.

"There may be other experiments, but this is our target. You each have sedatives with you, and use them only for the purpose of capture. Do what you will with the guards, but make sure that Wolfe is in our custody by the end of this mission." Natasha said, and turned around to grab her gear. 

Barton, who was sitting next to me, nudged my shoulder. I turned and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. 

"Race you there?" he said, smirking. I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

"Sure thing Robin Hood." I said, and tightened the laces of my shoes, standing next to Rhodey in the line-up. He nodded at me before closing the lid of his helmet, his eyes lighting up.

I reached behind me slightly and squeezed Wanda's hand gently. 

"оставаться в безопасности" I whispered to her quietly, and I heard a small chuckle. 

"пошел на хуй" she whispered, and I heard the smile in her voice. I smirked, but I was instantly blinded by the tiny sliver of bright light slipping in from the jet door. It lowered slowly, and I took a deep breath. 

"You die... shake it off."

The door hit the ground and everything went in a blur of thousands of colors with a cover of blue.


	5. Lea

I cracked one of the books that the guards had brought by my cell yesterday. As much as I hated most of them, they always kept me entertained. Of course I knew everything I owned was stolen, I was grateful that I had things to help me from going completely insane in this tiny little cell space. 

As I began delving into the Japanese comic book, my whole room went red, and an ear shattering alarm sounded. I bolted up, and ran towards the door, peaking through the little slot that showed out into the long corridor. The guards were racing past me with guns in hand and helmets over their heads. I tried to see where they were going, but the slot wasn't exactly the Hubbel Telescope. 

I plopped down on my bed, and tuned out the loud shrieking of the alarm to continue my book. The officials often put on way-too-serious drills that were supposed to prepare us for attacks. I was never included of course, since they were far too suspicious that I would attempt to escape, even though Reitanbach had his evil little telekinetic hooks in me, and could bring me back and kill me easily. And where would I go? All I knew was my name. I barely even knew how old I was. From my looks, I was younger than all the guards, but not as young as some of the teenagers I had seen the life drain out of as I strangled them and threw them to the ground.

Just as I began the first chapter, someone swung open my door, looking frantic. I recognized him as Reitanbach's new assistant. I had been forced to take care of the last one after he was caught telling the police that they had kidnapped a teenage girl who I'm assuming was me. I think his name was Alfred, or Arthur. One of those A names.

"Drop the act guys, your drills don't scare me anymore. They haven't scared me in years." I said, rolling my eyes and trying to focus back on the page. 

"This isn't a drill Wolfe. We have enhanced on the ground, attempting to break into the labs." 

My eyes widened and I stood up quickly. 

"Enhanced? Like me? What are they doing here?" I asked quickly, though thousands of questions were running through my mind. 

The assistant didn't answer me, and he held out a bag that he'd been carrying with him. 

"Suit up kiddo. You're on." He said, and closed the door, but leaving it unlocked. 

-:-:-:-:-

I had been following crowds of guards secretly, trying not to attract attention. I want to see the enhanced. I had never met anyone like me. I saw people like me, sure, but they were bodies in a lab that I assumed were horrendous failures. Their bodies were deformed, and their faces looked contorted like they were screaming. 

I was slinking into the experimental areas when I heard a loud crash behind me and I saw a bowl of syringes on the ground. When I snapped my head around, about 25 guards were on the ground, groaning and holding their chests. My heart rate accelerated and I tried to calm my shaking hands. I closed my eyes for a moment, my other senses heightening. I could hear him. His quick movements, and the breeze flowing after he would move around me. He could move from one corner of the room to another in less than a second. 

"Come on out and say hello Road Runner!" I called, and opened my eyes, and staggered my feet, trying to get stability. I took a deep breath, and stuck my arm out into the open space slightly. 

I smirked as I felt a breeze brush by me, reaching out and grabbing hold. He squirmed in my grip as I looked into his confused eyes, and I shook my head. 

"Going a little fast there, aren't you honey?


	6. Pietro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A powerful enemy and a game of Roadrunner and Coyote.

I squirmed in her grip, and tugged as hard as I could, but I could feel my arm beginning to go weak. I didn't understand what was happening. I was definitely stronger than this small, scrawny girl with pale skin and long thin fingers. But she had me , with her nails digging into my shirt.

She smirked cruelly and looked in my eyes, and started squeezing harder. I could feel my whole body starting to get weaker and weaker, and I felt so tired I thought I was going to collapse. Before she could bruise my damn arm, I slapped her across the face with my other hand, and sprinted across the room, practically gripping to the wall. My breathing was heavy, and my chest was heaving, trying to regain some of my energy. She had overpowered me and then used my energy... How had she done that? It wasn't possible. 

I cringed slightly as Wolfe wiped some blood from her lip. I usually didn't approve of hitting woman. She glared at me from across the room, and the slightest wave of emotion and pain flashed over her eyes. But some sort of switch was flicked, and she was a robot again. She spit on the floor, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and shifted her body position slightly. 

"Well now you just made it personal honey." She spat, and started stomping towards me. 

I shook my head, and turned my body so that I could run, but when I began moving my feet, I went far too slow. I furrowed my brow, and tried running again, but I was again too slow. What was this? I was tired, but not that tired. 

I heard footsteps close to me, and I turned quickly, to see her cruel smirk once again. Wow this girl was a psychotic bitch.

"What's wrong Roadrunner? Can't get away from Coyote this time?" Wolfe said, and all I was saw was flashes of blue and massive pain in every part of my body as I was slammed onto the floor. I let out a yell, and curled into myself, gripping my stomach tightly as though it would help some of the pain go away.

I tilted my head as much as I could without screaming, and looked up. The girl was crouching over me, licking her lips. She started reaching her hand towards my head, and I tried to cringe away, but she just got closer and closer. 

My eyes closed, and I tightened every muscle. This was it. This was the en-

A shriek and a loud thud interuppted my thoughts. I opened my eyes quickly and saw Wolfe collapsed on the floor with a syringe jammed into her upper thigh. I looked up and saw Rogers looking down at her, his eyes slightly wide, but a triumphant look on his face. 

"Earth to Yankee." I croaked out, and he quickly turned to me, kneeling down and wrapping my arm around his neck, and helping me stand. I groaned, and leaned against him as I saw the rest of the team come into the large hangar. 

"Good going Rogers." Rhodey said, and he gestured for Barton to go pick her up. 

My eyes widened and I stumbled forward, putting a hand on his chest. 

"No, no don't touch her." I said frantically, taking glances at them. They all looked at me like I was crazy, and I pulled my hand back to hold my stomach again, which was lurching with every movement.

"She took them," I rasped, looking towards the limp body, "She took my powers."


	7. Lea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lea's scared, Pietro's pissed.

I woke up with a pounding in my head, and a cramp in my leg. I felt as though someone had stuck a handful of cotton balls down my throat and then spit in them. In other words, not great.

I shook my head and opened my eyes finally, blinking up at the dark ceiling and trying to blink the spots out of my vision. My hand reached up to wipe at my eyes but it stopped, and even when I persisted, it stopped in its place. Leaning forward slightly, I saw that my hands were bound, and had large gloves attached to the iron bindings. Every time I moved my hand, I felt tiny pin-like pricks on my skin, so I opted out of moving again.

As I looked around the room, I realized I wasn't in headquarters. This room was different. My room was grimy and had a metal slab with a thin mattress atop it. This bed felt comfortable, even though this seemed to be a prison cell.

Fuck, how am I gonna get out of this? Those bastards are gonna want information, or maybe even to test me. I have to get out of here. 

Before I could move, I felt a sharp, stinging pain in my head, and I screeched, and clamped my eyes shut, trying not let the pain take over. As if my body wasn't my own, my tongue started going towards the back of my mouth where the cyanide pills that were HYDRA standard issue were stashed inside a fake tooth. I shook profusely and I tried to scream, praying that someone would help before I bit the pill and everything went black.

"Maximoff, neutralize!" I heard a stern voice yell, and a warm red haze overtook my body, and I felt numb. I thought I was dead. I felt like I was floating.

I was shaken out of my trance by a strong hang clamped down on my shoulder. I looked up and saw a young Korean woman staring down at me, with a tall blonde man wearing a tight, red, white, and blue outfit.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, a pair of tweezers were shoved into my mouth and I felt the fake tooth and the cyanide being pulled out. The action startled me, so when the woman pulled away and set the cyanide on a tray that was sitting on the small table next to me, I started coughing profusely.

"Oh save it Wolfe. Don't act so weak." called a girl's Russian accent.

I looked back towards the tall man, and my eyes started to water.

"Where am I? Please don't kill me, he made me do it, I didn't want to, please." I gasped out. Mr. Tall himself looked towards the woman who I now figured was a doctor.

"Dr. Cho, please remove one of the patient's gloves and Wanda, call in your brother. " He said in a firm tone, and I heard the door creak open, and a slur of some language I couldn't understand while I felt the tiny pricks receding from my skin. Dr. Cho reached out to examine the small wounds on my hands.

"Don't!" I yelled, and she jumped back nearly 3 feet. I wasn't hurting anyone else. I couldn't feel Reitanbach in my head, and I would use this time to my advantage. Maybe these people could help me. They could help me get away from him. The pretty girl, Wanda, had made his pain go away, maybe she could do it permanently.

There were too many maybes. I needed yes's or no's.

I heard more footsteps, and Wanda brought in a man that looked about her age, with silvery white hair. It clicked in my head, and I felt that ticking in my head. Reitanbach was still there. Slimy bastard. My head twitched slightly and I smirked, rolling my head back and laughing.

Fuck, no! He's controlling me again, what do I do?

"Roadrunner! Oh how the tables have turned my friend!" I cackled, and continued to laugh. My mind was scattered, and I was screaming, internally of course, because there was a 40 something doctor with a weird fetish for mutation inside my head making my body do things it shouldn't.

As quick as it had come before, the red haze covered me again, and my head lolled down onto my chest. I was breathing heavy, and I tried to communicate what was happening, but the red haze forced my mouth closed. I looked wildly at Mr. Tall again, and he just glared down at me.

"Quicksilver, come get your powers back." Dr. Cho said, and tightened the binding on my arm. The silver eyed boy looked towards me meekly. He looked horrible. There were circles under his eyes, and his arms looked like a rag doll's.

That tends to happen when you drain someone of their power Lea.

Oh. Right.

As he got closer, I took in a deep breath. I had only given someone's energy back once, and that was when I had accidentally killed one of the guards by trying to give him a high five. Guess I've just got a mean swing.

He looked down reluctantly, and slid his fingers close to mine. I felt a hot blush rise up onto my cheeks, and I turned my head to look away. I hadn't met a single boy my age since around 6 months ago, when I had to drain him because he had the strength I needed to advance my training. That thought sobered me slightly, but I could still feel his cold fingertips against my palm. Suddenly, I felt myself becoming more tired, and I felt sluggish, slow. I turned my head again, and looked at the boy. He glanced my way, and I tried to give him a small smile, only to have him pull his fingers away and stand next to his sister.

I frowned again. I don't know why I was surprised. I tried to kill him not hours before.

"Lea Wolfe. We have some questions for you, but first, I think we'd better get the rest of the team together." Mr. Tall said to me, and nodded towards Dr. Cho. She pulled on the chains that had been attached to the iron cuffs and they came unattached from the bed. She slowly helped me to sit up, before sliding the glove back on my hand. She gave me a slightly apologetic look that had me almost in tears as she saw me wince as the metal scraped over my skin.

Mr. Tall grabbed the middle of the chains and forced me to stand, and gestured for me to follow him out the open door, as I watched Wanda and Quicksilver go out in front of us. We walked down a short corridor, and a door was opened by a fingerprint scan, and when I was shoved into the room, the light blinded me. I stuck my hands up to cover my eyes, and then lowered them when the stinging behind my eyelids stopped.

I nearly vomited. There were lots of large, muscular men sitting around an oval table, and a red headed woman sitting at the head of it.

"So," one of the men with a trimmed beard and goatee said, "this is what a murderer looks like? And I here I was expecting a white faced puppet or a man who wanted to sew us together to make a centipede."


	8. Pietro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro gets smart and Lea gets wrecked.

The little bitch had the nerve to smile at me. Who did she think she was? She had tried to kill me not 12 hours ago, and now she expected me to accept her pity. And what was this bullshit with "she didn't want to do it"? I didn't know, and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out.

Wolfe had looked terrified as soon as she had stepped in the room. I guess it wasn't everyday you saw someone like Tony Stark sitting around a table with Hawkeye, Iron Patriot, and Vision.

Of course we had requested Thor's attendance, since Nick Fury had questioned whether HYDRA's technology was of this world, but the hammer wielding god had declined in favor of stopping a war on some odd planet.

She had been forced to stand while they fired question after question after her. "What's your name?" "How old are you?" "Where are you from?" I almost felt sorry for her, her legs were covered in scratches and bruises, and they were shaking like a leave in winter wind.

Some of the questions she didn't even know. Like her parents' names, or if she had any siblings. She in fact had 3. James, Zella, and Gabe. Her eyes got misty at the mention of it, but I turned my head away when I saw the tears start to flow. I refused to feel sorry for this psychotic witch bitch.

Wanda and I remained silent. I could feel her hand on my arm rest, waiting for Wolfe to make one wrong move towards us. But the frail girl did nothing. She stared at the floor and answered their questions in a monotone voice, despite the slight stutter that came with her tears. That was until they touched on something.

"Who do you work for?" Hawkeye said in an even tone, looking through all the papers and sifting through the answers she had given them already.

I sat up in my chair, and watched her intently. She was nearly frozen, except for her hands. She balled her fists and scraped the fingertips of the metal gloves against her palm. Something wasn't right. There were pins in those gloves, stabbing her with every move she made, and yet she kept her fists clenched.

"Wolfe, who do you work for?!" Rogers repeated and stepped towards her.

Wolfe finally lifted her head, and stared directly at Steve. The way her lips twitched gave way to a wicked smile, and for the first time I realized that her eyes were not green as they had been before. They were brown. The deepest, muddiest shade of brown. There was dead quiet for several moments, but she suddenly spoke.

"Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, born: 1925. Died: 1945-"

I was certain she was dead as soon as Steve tackled her to the floor. All you could hear was Tony shouting for him to stop, and Hawkeye leaping across the table to pull Rogers back. I sped over to help, and ripped Steve off of Wolfe, who was clutching her nose as blood was pouring out from between her hands. But all the while, I heard psychotic laughing. She was practically screaming.

"Let's hear it for Captain America!" She screamed, before falling into a violent fit of evil giggles.

I glared at her, and she looked me directly in the eyes, and I knew then. This was not the same person. This was not Lea Wolfe.


	9. Lea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Cho is a saint, and so is Vision.

I looked towards the floor in nothing other than shame. My legs swayed slightly as I sat on the examination table with a mouth guard on as though I was a rabid dog that was going to bite somebody. Though I'm sure I gave that impression when I had gone spouting off about some odd friend of who I found out was Captain America. 

Hawkeye, as they told me his name was, had pulled said Yankee off of me, and had Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, with his metals hands, take me back to the detention area to get me muzzled, have my nose looked at, and then locked back in the cell until they decided to kill me. 

I was angry. Not at them. I was the farthest thing from angry at them. I was angry at myself, and at this little tick in the back of my head that told me it would be easy to strangle poor Dr. Cho if I had an opening. I ground my teeth as if that would help block it out.

The mouth guard didn't't obstruct my nose, so the doctor was poking and prying at it as gently as she could, despite the fact that she probably hated me and would gladly punch me straight in the face as well if she was given half a chance. 

But the way she spoke, gentle and understanding, made me stupidly hope that I could actually get help here. Gave me hope that they weren't't going to kill me once they figured out I was completely useless. 

My thoughts trailed off as Dr. Cho smiled gently, and stuck a very small, but tight bandage over the bridge of my nose, where were a few cuts, and she had already stuck some gauze up my nose to stop the bleeding. 

I almost jumped back as she reached around to undo the guard on my mouth. She gave me a sympathetic look, and I shook my head frantically. I told her I was dangerous, I was a killer, but it was muffled by the piece of hard plastic in my mouth. 

She kept that sympathetic look, and undid the straps, and when she did, she stepped back, and I took a deep breath through my mouth. 

"There. That's better. It's not like you're a zombie trying to bite me, and I would certainly hope you're not Hannibal Lecter." she said, chuckling lightly. 

It pained me more than I'd like to admit that I couldn't't laugh with her. I didn't't understand what she was talking about, and I think she got the message when my head drooped. 

Her smile dropped, and she cleared her throat. 

"Lea," she began, and I lifted my head to look at her. The look she gave seemed motherly, expectant, and she nodded towards the circular security camera. I looked up at it, and sighed. 

"Will the Russian girl help me if I start up again?" I asked quietly, and Dr. Cho nodded. I took a deep breath, and started.

"Every time I say something wrong, there's a little tick in the back of my head," I waited to feel it, but there was nothing, so I continued "and every time I feel it, I lose control of everything. My limbs, my mouth, my brain. It's like I'm being controlled from the inside. And it makes me feel like I want to do all these horrible things. But I don't." I practically sobbed the last part, and tears started to spill out of my eyes, no matter how much I might have wanted them to stop. 

I didn't't understand why I wasn't't being set off. I assumed that there were key words that Reitanbach looked for when he heard my voice in his head.

"Reitanbach is a tele-" 

I felt the excruciating pain again, and screamed, thrashing around and not being able to move my hands. Dr. Cho's finger pushed a small button, and the red haze took me over again. I was breathing heavy, and more tears followed.

"It's alright Lea. Don't push it. We won't try anymore until we can figure out what's going on in your head." She said kindly, and pressed the button two more times in quick secession. 

She walked towards me, looking a tad sorry while she slipped the mouth guard back over my face, and I flinched as I saw Captain America over her shoulder. His face was still flushed with anger, but his hands had stopped shaking, and he obviously was no longer screaming threats. 

"Come on. We've reached a decision." He said, his mouth set in a straight line. 

My eyes widened slightly, and I looked, oddly, to Dr. Cho for help, but all she did was nod at the Captain. 

-:-:-:-:-

My breath left me instantly in a relieved huff as I heard the verdict. 

I wasn't going to die. Yet. 

"It only makes sense Captain," The strange red skinned man commented, "we could stand to learn something from this young lady and her mutation."

Stark nodded in agreement, but I spared a glance at the twins who were sitting next to him. They looked nothing short of furious, and I swallowed the fear in my throat. 

Surely they wouldn't let them hurt me....right?


	10. Pietro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the shipping begin. Maybe, I don't know, possibly.

10 days. It had been ten days since Wolfe had gone bat-shit and started spouting off about Bucky, a topic even Vision knew never to talk about. How she had even gotten the information was beyond Rogers, and he explained as much after he had finally calmed down, and his skin had regained its normal color. 

After ten days was the first time I caught Wanda walking around the detention area. I was confused more than angry. She was twitchy, and couldn't look me in the eye. She claimed that Stark had sent her to calm down the prisoner, but there surely would have been more uproar in the common room if a threat was in full force. 

The second time, I was furious. She had been next to Wolfe's cell, with her hands pressed up against the door, and I tried to tell myself I didn't hear her talking to the skinny devil, but I knew what I heard. Wanda was talking to that girl, and I didn't know why. And I'd be damned if I would let my sister be manipulated by some power stealing freak with 2 personalities. The day after, when I was certain Wanda wasn't down in the detention area, I ran as quickly as I could, and approached Wolfe's door slowly. 

There was a small glass window in the top of the door that was eye level for Wanda, but I had to stoop down a little to see inside. My heart constricted slightly at what I saw. 

Wolfe was sitting with her back to the wall, her knees pulled to her chest, with generic store brand glasses on the bridge of her nose, and a book in her hands. She looked calm, quiet... and I hated the part of myself that said adorable. I let out a deep breath, and looked down. My sister was one of the most powerful people in the world, surely she wouldn't be fooled by a twig with crazy-strong powers. 

As I went to turn around, the side of my foot hit the door, and Wolfe's head snapped up. She looked terrified, and all I could do was stare back at her. Her eyes were beautiful. Blue and round, and practically popping out of her head, but in the best and worst way. It felt like something was lodged in my throat, and I couldn't move. 

Just as my mouth was opening to break the silence, the blue in her eyes started fading, and started to be replaced with darker, and darker colors until they were totally brown, and a wicked grin was spread across her face. 

My gut twisted into a knot, and I slammed both of my hands against the door, as I turned on my heel and stormed off, intending to give Wanda a piece of my mind for talking to that life sucking-

"Pietro!" Wanda yelped, as she grabbed my arm. It looked as though I had walked past her. All I could see was red, I hadn't even noticed her. I twisted my body to face her and grabbed both of her arms.

"How could you talk to her? To it?! It is nothing but a blood sucking, killing machine, meant for nothing but death!" I screamed in her face, and before I knew what was happening, there was a sting in my cheek and Wanda's hand was close to my face, ready to slap me again if need be.

"You will not speak to me like that. And do not grab me as though I am a thing. I am your sister, ты дурак (you fool)." She said, and pushed me off with a hand to my chest. 

"I don't understand how you could look at her with such kind eyes after what she did to me!" I yelled, threading my fingers through my hair. 

Wanda sighed, and placed her hand gently on my elbow.

"брат (brother), you know I would do anything for you. I came down here for the same purpose as you, to shout, and yell, and to insult. But you did not see the look on her face. The way she spoke when she told me of all the things HYDRA made her do, and why. I cannot tell you, it's not my story to tell, but I promise you this brother. Monsters do not cry for their prey the way she does."

To say I was dumbstruck was an understatement. My hands gently fell from my hair, and I looked Wanda dead in the eye. I would tell if she was lying, or if there was any bit of doubt in her mind. There was none. I sighed. 

"I trust you, always. If you are sure about this. I will not stop you." I said, giving her a slight glare. A little smile fell across her lips, and she squeezed my arm gently, and began to tug me towards the cell. My eyes widened, and I looked down at my insane little sister. 

"C'mon. You don't have to talk to her. Just watch and learn." She said with a smirk on her face, and I rolled my eyes and stood on the opposite wall to the door, watching my sister. 

"Привет (Hello) Lea, how are you?" Wanda asked gently, leaning up a bit to see into Lea's cell. I noticed her fingers working gently against the door, her red mist flowing through it, and reaching Wolfe, who was twitching and her slow manical laughter was dying down. 

Wolfe stood, and frowned. 

"It happened again Wanda." She said, and the defeated face she pulled as she went to stand and peer through the window to look at her. 

Wanda gave an understanding smile. 

"It's alright. None of us know what's really happening yet. We'll find out what's haunting you." She said.

I was shocked. I had never heard my sister use a more gentle tone. It wasn't patronizing, or mocking. More motherly than anything.

I saw Wolfe's eyes fix on me before they widened. 

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare your brother, he just startled me and I-" She was starting to ramble again, and I fought the instinct to go and comfort her. 

Wanda shook her head, and made a slight shooshing sound.

"It's alright. He's fine, just worried for his младшая сестра (little sister), that's all. And I bet he spooked you pretty well, he's a massive dick." Wanda said, smirking, and my eyebrows furrowed.

"Hey!" I yelled playfully, and my sister started to laugh. I smirked lightly, but the corners of my mouth tried to pull up into a full smile when I saw Wolfe's eyes scrunched up with a wide toothy grin on her face, laughing with Wanda.

My breath froze in my throat, and I felt like I couldn't breathe as I looked at her. 

I turned away quickly and stormed down the hallway as the thought that I would do anything to make her smile again ran through my head.


	11. Pietro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I usually alternate POVs but for the sake of the story, I'm switching it up. Also: I know how Civil War goes, and I know that what is about to happen in the next few chapters does not really relate at all to the ending of Civil War. That's why it's an AU. Pietro's alive and Civil War ends differently, sue me. There has been a couple week time skip, so, here we go.

"So, what?! You're just gonna leave me here with her?" I shouted as Wanda threw clothes hastily into a small duffel bag.  
She threw me a look, the look your mother gives you when you know the answer to a question you've asked 1,000 times. I just wanted to deny that I knew the answer, because the answer was garbage.  
"What city, in what world, in what realm does this make sense in? You're going to leave me here with a soul sucking witch and a handful of guards while you go off to save Steve's boyfriend and fight with Stark?"  
"That's right Pietro. And you'd do well to remember that she is my friend, and I was beginning to think she was yours too." Wanda snapped at me, starting to put on her boots somewhat furiously.  
My cheeks were turning a tomato red instantly and I crossed my arms over my chest like a pouty child, looking down towards my feet. Yes, I had been going to see Wolfe with Wanda almost everyday. It was mostly them talking, and me throwing in a bit of advice every now and again. But according to Wanda, that meant I had some sort of bond to this girl.  
Which I certainly did not. And the fact that I wanted to on more than one occasion made me want to tear my hair out.  
"What will I have to do?" I said in a resigned voice, peeking through my hair at Wanda again.  
She still looked agitated, but more in a "What am I going to do with you?" way.  
"Nothing, brother. Other than making sure she doesn't escape, you can do whatever you want," she said, as she zipped up the other boot. She stood cautiously and let out a deep breath, putting her hands on her hips and looking me directly in the eye, "But, if I come back, and there's a single scratch on her, you'll have it coming Maximoff." She said, shoving my shoulder with her hand lightly. It was playful, but I knew she meant business. Wanda always meant business, especially when a psychopathic mind controller was taking over the brain of a 19 year old girl.  
I nodded slowly, I looked up into her eyes. She smiled lightly, and leaned in, hugging me tightly. I stroked her hair a couple times, whispering comforts in Russian, hoping it would help sooth her for the long journey she had ahead of her.  
I was scared shitless. Wanda couldn't know that of course, she'd laugh at me, but I was terrified. Every time we were seperated, every time we were more than minutes or seconds apart I started to panic. After what happened in Sokovia we were both fiercely protective over one another, even though she probably had more reason than I.  
She pulled away after a few moments, and took another deep breath.  
"Rogers is expecting me. I've got to go. I love you brother, I will see you again, soon." She said, biting her lip as if she was in thought.  
Before I could say anything else, she was out the door of her room and running down the hall. I stayed frozen where I was, with my left hand anchored in my hair. When I heard the sounds of her footsteps disappear, I let out the breath I'd apparently been holding in as we hugged.  
I didn't want to stay here in Wanda's room. I knew if she knew that I was in here for longer than necessary she'd kick my ass faster than I could say...well, anything.  
My room was dingy, and smelled like old musty clothes and the blood soaked t-shirt I had stuffed in the back of my closet even though Wanda told me to throw it away.  
Before I even knew where I was going, I was down on the detention floor, cell 776, Lea Wolfe. I don't know why I came here. A giant complex with Ferraris, Mustangs, a full gym and bar, and I decided to come here.  
I slumped my bad against Wolfe's door, and slid down it until I was sitting on the floor. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes for just a moment.  
"Hey."  
I slammed my head up and I hit my forehead on the doorknob. I cursed under my breath as I held my head and felt for any bleeding, or something dramatic like that.  
When I was over the initial surprise, I heard a squeaky, concerned voice, talking rapidly behind the door, spouting apologies.  
I shook my head and let it go on a few minutes more, because hey, what can I say, I'm an asshole.  
After a few moments, I spoke up.  
"Yeah, I get it Wolfe, you're sorry," I said in an exasperated tone, "It's just a tiny bump anyways, it'll heal within a day or so."  
There was a hush for a moment, and then the voice was back.  
"I just wanted to talk, I thought you were Wanda. I was confused, because she usually comes to the window, but I just assumed..." She trailed off, and I could hear her voice tremble a little.  
I let out a sigh. Of course now that Wanda was gone I had to play comforting hero so Wolfe didn't go berserk and kill everyone on the premises.  
"Just little old' me." I said, and leaned my head back against the door.  
From what I could tell from the crack of light in between the door and the wall, Wolfe was sitting just on the other side of the door.  
We sat in silence for what felt like hours. I began picking at my fingernails to stop myself from doing what I wanted to do. Ask questions, get answers, help. I especially wanted to stop the latter.  
Another bout of silence and I lost my nerve.  
"So, raging psycho, in your head, what's that like?"  
As soon as I said it I was ready for a full attack, if not on my body, then on my character, but I was rewarded with a small laugh, more polite that it was humorous, but I would take anything at this point.  
"Just like a walk on the beach like you couldn't possibly imagine. Every time I talk I become a different person, or try to kill myself with cyanide hidden in a tooth in my mouth which you lot removed," she said with a relieved tone, "so it's just fabulous, really, thank you Pietro."  
I chuckled quietly, and she did the same, clearly not taking herself too seriously now that she didn't have orders from a madman in a lab coat.  
Wanda said that Wolfe and I were close to being friends. And I assumed friends knew everything there was to know about each other. I never really knew much about making new friends, I mostly just stuck with Wanda.  
"So, Wolfe-" "My name is Lea." A soft but sharp voice cut in, and my eyes widened slightly. When she had first arrived, she had responded to nothing but Wolfe. Now she was asking to be called her first name by someone who she had tried to kill. She had guts, I had to give it to her.  
"Lea," I said slowly and carefully, "name one thing you like. Genuinely like. Not the Dr. Phil psychiatrist answer." I said, and leaned my head towards the crack in the door.  
There was silence for a while and I thought maybe she was ignoring me, and I was ready to roll my eyes, but I was interrupted.  
"I like comic books. And fresh air. And the smell of raspberries and cream. It's the kind of shampoo Wanda uses, she let me borrow it when she was assigned to be my bath escort last week."  
I grinned at the thought of it. Whenever we had even a little extra money to throw around when we were beggars on the street as children, we'd go to the Russian version of the American Dollar Store, and buy Wanda this sickly sweet shampoo that came in a bottle the size of my head. It sounds like she never grew out of it. And it probably wasn't hard to find with the resources she had at hand.  
"Oh god, I don't know how you put up with it. Been stuck with that smell for years, never taken a liking to it.  
But knowing Wolfe-  
Lea.  
Knowing Lea liked it made me miss dodging through fat security guards and grubby shopkeepers for that damn bottle of shampoo.


	12. Lea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A metal armed ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always assumed the Maximoff twins to be around 20 or 21. Lea's 19, meaning they're only a year or two apart. I'M NOT PROBLEMATIC I SWEAR

It had been almost a month that Wanda was gone. In that time, Pietro had been down to see me everyday. Except for a Saturday the third week in because (in his words) he thought I'd like some alone time.  
While it was thoughtful and wonderful of him to do this, I almost lost it. I had spent 5 years having "alone time", so being alone after constant companionship had nearly driven me mad. Reitanbach had been in my head, cackling, screeching, yelling that the moment they were done with me, they would bring me back to him, and with how Captain Rogers felt about me, I wouldn't be surprised.  
I had screamed, endlessly until my throat was stripped raw and I could barely croak out a syllable. Pietro had found me the next morning curled up in the corner of my room with bloody scratches on my temples and all around my face. I was rocking back and forth and yelling "get out" over and over until he grabbed my sleeve covered wrists and shook me slightly.  
"Lea. Lea!" He shouted, and my eyes snapped open, staring into his blue ones. They were a familiar color, blue, and almost clear. Like the ocean. Which was funny because I don't remember ever seeing the ocean.   
He stared down at me, but it wasn't an angry glare. It was pity, and sympathy, which I didn't mind, not when it came from him.   
I began to sob heavily, and rested my forehead on his chest, gasping for breath while ugly, almost screaming sobs came out of my mouth.   
"H-he was here, I-I swear he was," I hiccuped, and buried myself farther into Pietro's chest, making sure none of my skin was touching his.   
He was frozen, unsure. It took me a few moments to realize what I had done, and my sobbing began to subside, and it gave way to bright red cheeks, embarrassment flushing throughout my entire body. I slowly pulled away and looked up at him, shaking my head slightly when I caught myself staring.  
"I-I'm okay, you're here." I whispered, and Pietro nodded slowly, a softness in his eyes that I had never seen from anyone. It set my insides on fire, and I fidgeted slightly. I had allowed my gaze to wander lower on his face, to wear the curve of his upper lip met the bottom one. I imagined the hair on his face would tickle or scratch me if I just leaned in and-  
"Lea, you need rest." He said firmly, and found my gaze again. I nodded ferociously, and allowed myself to be helped up. My cheeks were still bright red, and I prayed to whatever god that he hadn't noticed.   
Now, I'm certain that was a pipe dream. I looked in the mirror after he left, and I looked redder than Wanda's leather jacket.  
A week later, and I was still thinking about how close he was. If I had just grabbed ahold of his collar and pulled him down towards me I could have-  
'Strangled him Lea, you could have clamped your hand around his neck and sucked the life out of him'  
He was back, and I nearly screamed again. I could feel the pounding in my head, and the anxiety building in my chest. My fingertips were numb and then suddenly-  
It stopped. Red haze flowed through the door, and my eyes shot open. Wanda was peering through my window with a concerned smile on her face. I felt myself begin to bear a huge toothy grin as I jumped up and went towards the door.  
"Wanda, you're back! How was your mission, what happened-"  
"All your questions will have answers soon друг (friend), but for now, King T'Challa of Wakanda requests your presence."  
"The King of what?!"  
-:-:-:-  
Before me stood a tall, dark skinned young man in a pin stripe suit, with Captain Rogers, and another brooding man I did not recognize behind him.  
I was in awe. I had never met anyone this important before. A king! Wanda had told me I met the President after my Olympic success, but I didn't remember it in the slightest. I hoped I remembered this encounter, he looked regal, and in-charge.  
I was pulled out of my stupor when Wanda nudged me with her elbow, and gestured towards him. It suddenly donned on me that you bow to a king.  
"I'm sorry sir... your Majesty, Highness.... sir." I blabbered out, knowing I sounded like an idiot, but I couldn't really control it. I was so flustered, I didn't even know what I was doing.  
I was NOT so flustered that I didn't hear Pietro snicker at me. If I wasn't standing in front of the monarch of a prominent African country, I would have glared at him, or made a snappy comment.  
When I stood once again, King T'Challa had a kind smile on his face. Amused, but kind.  
"King T'Challa will do, Lea," He said, nodding towards me.  
I nodded back towards him, and I gulped.  
"Captain Rogers," he called, and Captain America himself came stumbling forward, and stood next to T'Challa, "I believe we have someone for the young lady to meet."  
The captain's eyes widened and he nodded intently, and turned around, as though retrieving something.  
My eyes widened as well.  
I had barely become accustomed to Pietro within a month, and with Wanda, it took weeks for me to even speak to her.  
"Your Majesty, I don't think-" Pietro began to butt in, I think trying to come to my rescue, but my heart was in my throat as soon as I saw him.  
It was Bucky Barnes. The Asset. The Winter Soldier. Born: 1925. KIA: 1945.  
He was just as surprised to see me. I didn't think he would be, they used the machine on him twice as much as they did on me.  
"Y-you..." He said quietly, and stepped towards me slightly.  
He looked better than the last time I had seen him, over 2 years ago. He had been sent to our facility for training, and I doubted that our good-for-nothing facility supervisor dying that same week was a coincidence.  
"Hi..." I said, and reached out my right hand for him to shake. I had made the mistake of trying to shake his right hand the last time we met, and I nearly killed him, despite the super soldier status.  
He glanced nervously down at his metal arm, and then back at Steve, who nodded gently, with kind eyes.  
It came to me then. The Soldier had always been repeating dates, numbers, names. I heard him babbling on in the cell across from mine. 17, Steve, 17, Rogers, 17, 107, over and over and over. Now it made sense. He was trying to remember. All this time he was trying to hold on to the tiniest pieces of memory he had, just like I was.  
He finally held out his hand, and I shook it gently and slowly, not wanting to spook him and make him go on a rampage that I was sure could be just as bad, if not worse, than mine.  
"Bucky." He said, and looked up at me.  
I smiled gently, and met his gaze.  
This was the first time I had directly touched another human being, without consequence, without barriers, without punishment, for 5 years. I was close to tears and I was sure it was written all over my face.  
"Lea."


	13. Pietro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glitch in Pietro's Matrix. (Slight NSFW: One mention of Pietro's dick)

When I walked into the training room in the morning, the last thing I expected to see was Lea. Legs and arms pumping hard and breathing heavy, her skin glistening with sweat. My eyes widened and I turned around and walked out the door as fast as I had come in.

I stood outside for about five minutes, my hands on my knees, taking deep breaths, and trying to regain a bit of composure. When you see someone looking like prey in a cage for over 2 months, the last thing you expect is to see them looking like a fucking goddess shining with sweat in a blue sports bra and spandex shorts.

My face felt hot, and my stomach was turning, but not in the nauseous way. In the very un-PG-13 way.

It was about 10 minutes when my brain was slightly clearer, that I realized that Lea was out of her cell. Without an escort.

I peeked into the gym quietly, making sure this wasn't some sort of erotically sick dream. 

Alas, there she was, bench pressing weights two times her size. I was fairly certain I had heart palpitations.

I slowly walked away from the door, but then one of my shoes squeaked loudly, and I cringed.

I heard the weights slam onto the rest bar, and footsteps coming towards the door.

"H-hello?" Lea called out shakily.

I frowned. She was nervous, she probably thought someone was here to kidnap her, or do worse. I couldn't leave her all paranoid.

I popped out from behind the door frame.

"Hey there Wolfe." I said, waving slightly.

Lea clutched her chest and smiled, relieved.

"God, you scared the shit out of me roadrunner," She said, and looked back up at me, "what are you doing here?"

"Probably same as you, just came to train." I said nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. If she had known I had sat outside willing away a hard-on for about 20 minutes I think she might just kill me. And I wouldn't blame her.

I coughed awkwardly, and straightened up my act. She was out of her quarters, without an escort, and part of me thought she had just busted out of her cell.

"Speaking of that, what are YOU doing here?" I said, motioning to the training room. "You're supposed to have an escort with you everywhere you go. You didn't bust out did you? Lea you know that Stark will-"

"PIETRO!" Lea shouted, startling me out of my monologue.

I froze, a frown forming on my face. Lea looked as though she was pouting slightly, which was completely adorable, but she was looking at me with contempt.

"Why would I break out of my cell, first of all, I have nowhere to go. Second of all, I do have an escort." She said, and her posture and expression softened as she made a come hither motion to something behind me.

My head snapped around, and I saw Barnes walking out from behind some equipment with a hunting knife the size of my forearm in hand. My eyes widened, at the knife, and his silence. I hadn't even seen him. He was over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a wide gait, so it was hard to miss him. It was amazing that I had.

Then I felt myself starting to brood, and pout. They had left her with him? He had only been here for a week, and they were already trusting him with Lea? What if he went berserk, and hurt her with that thing that they called his arm? What if she got hurt, or worse?!

I was more qualified to take care of her, or Wanda was. We were both in better control of our powers, and could actually help in the event of one of her episodes. What could Barnes do? He didn't even know her!

"They left you with Barnes? They left you with the Win-"

"Pietro, stop! Jesus, what is your problem?!"

I was taken aback. What was my problem? She was in cahoots with a 250 pound assassin with a metal vice attached to his shoulder, and an attitude problem.

"My problem is you getting left with the newbie. Who knows what could happen?" I said, my voice getting slightly louder.

Lea's brows furrowed and she glanced back at Bucky, maybe for support, or something, but I don't think he responded, because she turned back to me with a scowl on her face.

"Listen here Maximoff. Bucky knows more about me than anyone here, even you, so the next time you decide to judge someone, whether it be me, or Bucky, take a reality check. You're not my babysitter anymore." She spat at me.

My chest tightened. That's all she saw me as? A babysitter? I thought we were friends. I had told her everything there was to know about me, and I thought she had in return. Apparently not, since this new Bucky guy came around. I knew he was too old to be into her, he had more sense than that, but my heart constricted at the thought of her sharing our private moments with other people.

I looked down, taking a breath.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not." I said, putting up my hands in surrender, and turning around, stalking past Barnes. When I was out of the gym I turned around and glanced back at them. Bucky was standing in front of Lea, it looked like consoling her, without words. It had taken all of my words to calm her, and he did it with a simple presence. It just made me angrier, so I turned my eyes back to the floor.

-:-:-:-:-

"Way to leave her with the F.N.G., Rogers." I grumbled, as I walked into the command center, where I knew Steve and Wanda would be.

Rogers was dressed in his "spangly outfit", sans helmet. He turned around to face me, raising one eyebrow.

"Son, I was in the army. I love how you don't think I know what that means." He said, and then looked back over the rest of the room.

I grumbled, and leaned on a control panel I was sure wouldn't send nukes into space.

Rogers regarded me with a stern, almost fatherly look on his face.

"Is something wrong with how Wolfe is being handled?"

I lost it. I repeated everything I had said to Lea, at Rogers, with more colorful language thrown in the mix, and I yelled about how dumb he was for 10 minutes.

Once I was done, I was breathing heavy, and I almost went psycho again when I saw him smirking.

"Wipe that look off your face you bastard." I said, and began storming out of the room.

"You like her, don't you?"

I stopped in my tracks, like I had hit a brick wall.

My heart pounded, and I could hear it in my ears.

I swung around to deny it, but I could see the look in his eyes. He knew. I floundered for words, with my mouth hanging open like an idiot, but I couldn't find anything to say. After a few moments I was gone, out of the room in a flash of blue, and to my apartment within seconds. I collapsed on the bed, and looked down at my hands.

I liked Lea Wolfe. Just like a stupid schoolboy. I LIKE liked her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you that don't know, F.N.G. means Fucking New Guy, a popular army term, especially during the Vietnam war. Pre-serum Steve was the ultimate F.N.G. Also, I know my formatting of the text changes every five seconds, I promise I'll fix it from now on.


	14. Lea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky learns to make decisions and Lea starts to understand.

Pietro didn't come visit me for over 2 weeks. I thought now that I had Bucky that I wouldn't feel so alone, but every time I heard a noise in the hallway, I ran to the door, and peeked out, hoping it would Pietro every time. It never was.

Even Wanda's help was useless sometimes. I know she meant well, but telling me that her stupid brother and this petty fight wasn't worth my grief did not make me feel better. I wanted it to, but it didn't. 

Luckily, my meltdowns were still in check. My new and only friend Bucky had made sure of that. He taught me the breathing and meditation practices from Dr. Banner's research notes, and like everyone else, I knuckled under and labeled that man a complete and utter genius. He may have a "giant green rage monster", as Stark called it, living inside him, but he knew how to do yoga and tai chi like a master.

Since the walls of my room were still blank, I had a lot of time to think. And a lot of time to think when you're an amnesiac with a temperamental psycho in your head, things don't end up being the 4th of July picnic everyone makes "alone time" out to be.

Pietro had hurt me. I was an adult, by every standard except for his. According to him I needed to be cared for like a child.

But I was also sure I hurt him. I had called him my babysitter, when he was my friend, and in my delusional mind, something more.

I guess I was proving him right by acting the way I was, sequestering myself in my room at all hours of the day, and pouting when the lights would turned on, and I would be dragged out of my room by Bucky, who took me on walks around the compound. That was the only thing really keeping me sane. Even Wanda had stopped visiting all the time. In my heart I knew that I had no right to be angry, but in the immature and petty side of my brain, I wished that she would've still come to see me, despite her brother being angry at me.

About 2 weeks and 4 days after I had seen Pietro, I was doing pull ups on the bar in my room (my request, so that I wouldn't have to leave my room and see Pietro in the gym), when there was a knock on my door.

I froze halfway through my 20th pull up and sprung down from the bar. I practically sprinted at the door, punched in the security code, and slammed it open.

Luckily my eyes started working before my feet did, because it was not in fact Pietro at the door. It was a wide eyed, 6 foot 2 inch super soldier wearing a pair of jogging pants and a tank top.

The ball of self disgust and complete and utter disappointment grew in the pit of my stomach. The smile dropped off my face, and I turned around again, intending to do pull ups until I couldn't feel feelings anymore.

"Hi Buck, I'm really not-" I felt a solid, metal hand on my shoulder. My frown deepened and I turned back around slowly. There were tears in Bucky's eyes and his shoulders were hunched. He honestly looked like a kicked puppy.

I looked at him, tilting my head slightly, and put my hand on his metal one.

"What happened? Did Stark say something again, cause you know Steve will-"

He broke down. He was sobbing, his shoulders shaking and his flesh hand coming up to cover his mouth. I stood completely shocked for about 30 seconds before I gently pushed him out of the doorway, and into the hallway. His head shot up. He thought I was kicking him out. I just gave him a sad smile, and gestured towards the door down the hallway that led to a little patch of trees that Wanda called a "fairy circle". He sniffled and nodded slowly in understanding.

-:-:-:-

We sat in the middle of the circle of trees for almost 15 minutes, letting the early morning fog brush our shoulders before Bucky spoke. 

"Steve...I walked into his room. I needed something, I-I...I can't remember what," He stopped for a stuttered breath and every instinct in my body told me to hug him, or touch his hand or do something. But I knew that wasn't what he needed. I waited, ready to listen to anything he had to say, "A-and he was shirtless, facing the wall, just sleeping..There was a hitch in his breath, and all I remembered was fevers and him crying for his Ma and that I..." Bucky sobbed again and buried his face in his hands.

My heart was in my throat.

I pretended I didn't know what was coming next.

Whenever Steve wasn't busy looking at monitors, or bossing the twins around, he was looking at Bucky. His eyes would follow him like a lost man follows a map, like a fish following a current. Sometimes his eyes were beaming, proud, and happy. But mostly, they were longing. Quiet, but screaming so loud. So loud for the one person who had made him feel safe, who was his family when he had none. I had always picked up on it (I was trained to be alert) but I always pretended not to notice. Looks like that were not for me. They were for Steve and his quiet longing for the person he had lost almost a century ago.

"I-I loved him. I loved him Lea. I loved him... with my entire fucking heart." he practically screamed and let out the most heart wrenching sob I had ever heard. 

Tears were streaming down my face, and my hands shook, not knowing where to go.

"And he loved me too, and he's been holding onto that for over 70 years...70 y-years."

Rogers was all Captain America, poker face on at all times. Never a crack. Except when his eyes would follow Bucky.

"What do I do? I can't leave Steve with all this pain, I-I can't I-"

"Bucky, please breathe, remember Bruce's notes."

He nodded quickly and gently closed his eyes, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth.

I quickly wiped my eyes, and scooted the slightest bit closer to Bucky. He didn't flinch away, which I took as progress to be praised later. I pushed my hands into my lap and took a deep breath. He had asked for my advice, another huge step, and not something to be taken lightly. So I was gonna do the best that I could. 

"Bucky...You can keep on crying, that's so, so okay, but I'm gonna talk a little bit, okay?" I said softly, and I saw the slight bob of his head in agreement. Another deep breath.

"Okay... You don't have to do anything Bucky," At this, he looked at me with a slightly confused expression, and I gathered up all my courage, continuing to talk, "You are in control. You are safe, and you have control over your own decisions now. No one is going to hurt you, or punish you for doing nothing or anything anymore. You went through hell and back, and you have every right to do nothing." I paused, and glanced at him, hoping my rambling was getting through. He nodded at me to keep going.

"Steve Rogers has romantic feelings for you. His feelings are valid. But so are yours. He is not entitled to anything from you. His feelings may or may not be returned. You can choose what to do with your feelings. And it's alright if you do nothing." I said, and nodded slightly, hoping to complete my statement on a strong note.

I glanced back to Bucky, who was looking blankly over my shoulder. I would have known if someone was behind me, so I knew he was processing.

I closed my eyes for a moment and prayed I hadn't made things so much worse.

Then I heard a small voice.

"I have the choice to do nothing. I don't have to make a decision right now. And if I do make a decision, I have every right to that decision." He said, looking up at me with an almost scared expression.

The tension deflated like a balloon in my stomach and there was a small smile on my face.

"Yeah Bucky. You have every right to every part of yourself." I said, smiling a little wider at him.

He nodded, not cracking a smile, but his shoulders had stopped shaking, and he wasn't scratching at his metal arm as if he wanted to tear it off. That was all I needed to see to know that I had helped the smallest bit. I knew I hadn't solved the problem, that was for Bucky and Steve to do, but I hoped that I had given Bucky at least the tiniest bit of confidence. He was a human being now, and no longer a weapon. Neither of us were, we were free of the people who wanted to use us as tools or pawns in a game.

We sat in another comfortable silence until the sun had moved from the east side of the grove to the west. There was no need to speak, until Bucky's quiet voice broke the silence.

"You should go see Pietro."

And I understood. I understood what I needed to do.


End file.
